Save student aid

All levels of public education have seen their budgets cut in recent years, which is one reason that college tuition costs have far outpaced inflation.

Meanwhile, Congress is likely to make further cuts to Pell Grants, which help ecomically disadvantaged students pursue and complete college degrees. The Student Aid Alliance is circulating a petition calling on elected officials to reverse recent trends and properly fund student loan and grant programs. Please sign it.

The statement accompanying the peitition states:

Our nation sorely needs to power up its economic engine. Work force projections show that by 2018, there will be jobs for as many as 22 million new workers with college degrees, but on our current trajectory, we won’t make that goal—in fact we’ll miss it by 3 million workers.

Recent budget deals have already cut $30 billion from the student aid programs, sacrificing some students’ benefits to pay for others. States across the country are cutting higher education from their own budgets.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to preserve, protect and provide adequate funding for the core federal student aid programs—such as Pell Grants and student loan benefits. Together, these programs offer students an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills our nation demands for a strong recovery.

Tough budget decisions in DC have put pressure on all federal spending, but cutting student aid, a long-term investment in our nation’s future, doesn’t make sense.